Discuss

The shutdown of '95. Government works best when it's not working at all.

The shutdown of '95. Government works best when it's not working at all.

 

I was going to say that when I saw the title of the thread. Thanks for beating me to it.

Mandating the Congressional Cafeteria serves Freedom Toast and Freedom Fries.

Mandating the Congressional Cafeteria serves Freedom Toast and Freedom Fries.

 

 

+1

Impressive list we going here.

Impressive list we going here.

 

Me: YASNY, what would you say was the biggest accomplishment in your life?

YASNY: Um, well that time I did nothing I guess, because I couldn't f*** anything up that way.

 

Seriously I think there's a little something to that. The government seems to mess things up when it tries too hard.

Seriously I think there's a little something to that. The government seems to mess things up when it tries too hard.

I'm not sure I agree with that. I'd argue that it's more the people running the government than the nature of government itself (although the nature of this lobbyist, corrupted government might be the real key).

 

Think about the 25 years before this 25 year block, 58-83. Within that time, you had major things get through the Congress. The Civil Rights legislation. Creation of Medicare and the other "Great Society" programs, along with all the drive and funding for the space race. The 25 year block before that you had FDR and his major shakeups, Social Security and the entire regulatory structure we've functioned under for 75 years now, along with the Defense acts of 1948 that structured the military as its found today, and a fairly major war in both blocks.

 

You may not like those things, take your pick...but no one can deny that Civil Rights and Medicare are "Big things". The next set of "Big things" that people might want to get done in this country (a universal health care system, a crash program to get rid of fossil fuels) have been hung up by entrenched interests. Why they're so strong is the question. Is it the media? Has the power of lobbyists gone up that much? Is the American voter just dumber? Is it the party/people we have running things? I really don't know.

There are S-CHIP programs. Americorps.

You may not like those things, take your pick...but no one can deny that Civil Rights and Medicare are "Big things". The next set of "Big things" that people might want to get done in this country (a universal health care system, a crash program to get rid of fossil fuels) have been hung up by entrenched interests. Why they're so strong is the question. Is it the media? Has the power of lobbyists gone up that much? Is the American voter just dumber? Is it the party/people we have running things? I really don't know.

 

Gerrymandering.

Gerrymandering.

 

thats nothing new though

thats nothing new though

However, I believe the 95% plus incumbent survival rate is actually quite new.

However, I believe the 95% plus incumbent survival rate is actually quite new.

 

$$$$$$$$$$ more than that though

$$$$$$$$$$ more than that though

Which of course translates directly to the incumbent survival rate.

Holy crap! I agree with Balta!

 

 

Mommy, hold me. I'm scared.

I'm not sure I agree with that. I'd argue that it's more the people running the government than the nature of government itself (although the nature of this lobbyist, corrupted government might be the real key).

 

Think about the 25 years before this 25 year block, 58-83. Within that time, you had major things get through the Congress. The Civil Rights legislation. Creation of Medicare and the other "Great Society" programs, along with all the drive and funding for the space race. The 25 year block before that you had FDR and his major shakeups, Social Security and the entire regulatory structure we've functioned under for 75 years now, along with the Defense acts of 1948 that structured the military as its found today, and a fairly major war in both blocks.

 

You may not like those things, take your pick...but no one can deny that Civil Rights and Medicare are "Big things". The next set of "Big things" that people might want to get done in this country (a universal health care system, a crash program to get rid of fossil fuels) have been hung up by entrenched interests. Why they're so strong is the question. Is it the media? Has the power of lobbyists gone up that much? Is the American voter just dumber? Is it the party/people we have running things? I really don't know.

 

Which is why I used 25 years as a time frame. I even considered going from the end of Vietnam to today.

 

NAFTA?

budget enforcement act of 1990

 

I believe that this helped us get our surplus in the nineties.